A themed flower display is seen outside the Dalian International Conference Center on June 22, 2026, ahead of the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, which will be held in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province from June 23 to 25. Photo: VCG

The opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026, commonly known as Summer Davos, was held in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Wednesday. The need for greater openness and cooperation resonated throughout the lively discussions among Chinese and international participants.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered an address at the opening plenary of the Summer Davos on Wednesday in Dalian, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The Chinese economy has maintained "strong resilience and positive momentum" in kicking off the new five-year plan period, he noted, adding that its stability has provided the much-needed certainty and served as an important "safe harbor" in an increasingly uncertain world, Xinhua reported. 

"We will expand market access, fully enforce national treatment for foreign enterprises, and keep fostering a world-class business environment. We warmly welcome businesses from around the world to China to invest and do business here, share in the new opportunities we offer, and join us in building a brighter future," Li said. 

For enterprises worldwide, "China Opportunity 2.0" represents comprehensive innovation-driven empowerment and high-return investment prospect, Li said. "For global development, 'China Opportunity 2.0' means broader access to advanced technologies and more widely shared development benefits," he added.

China will continue to participate in global governance on artificial intelligence (AI) and other domains in a responsible and constructive manner, Li said, adding that China will work with related parties to strengthen institutional frameworks and rules, enhance regulatory effectiveness, and forcefully defuse potential risks.

Amid the growing global uncertainty, business leaders from around the world used the forum to voice strong support for openness and cooperation. Chinese experts said the premier's remarks sent a clear signal of China's commitment to innovation and opening-up, while the positive expectations voiced by participants toward the Chinese market underscored continued global confidence in the country's economic prospects and innovation capabilities.

This year, Global leaders including Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Kim Min-seok, Mongolian Prime Minister Nyam-Osor Uchral, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, and around 1,800 representatives from government, business, academia, and other sectors around the world, attended the event, according to Xinhua's Wednesday report.

2026 marks the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), with the policy direction underscoring the country's sustained commitment to fostering innovation-led industrial development and further opening-up, experts said.

Amid growing risks of global economic fragmentation, this year's Summer Davos delivered a clear message: openness, innovation, and cooperation remain essential to growth, and China stands ready to continue serving as a connector and driver of global development, Huang Bin, executive dean of the Institute of Chinese Modernization at Minzu University of China, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Huang said China's technological innovation and opening-up is increasingly generating global benefits, especially in AI and the digital economy, where wider use drives faster improvement, and China's large market, complete industrial chain and rich application scenarios enable rapid technology iteration, supporting both domestic growth and global innovation. 

"China is also providing key infrastructure support for the next wave of technological change, including energy, computing power, grids and digital networks, with its strengths in clean energy and digital infrastructure benefiting other countries as well," he said.

Amid growing global uncertainty, representatives of international companies and institutions expressed support for openness and cooperation, and increasingly see China as a key destination for growth, innovation, collaboration, and market opportunities.

China is becoming an indispensable hub for innovation and consumption in multinational companies' global strategies, Mark Harrison, Partner at KPMG China, told the Global Times in a statement on Wednesday. Harrison said continued policy support, a commitment to high-level opening-up, and efforts to maintain stable and healthy economic growth are creating a valuable window of opportunity for international businesses to deepen their presence in the Chinese market.

"Through Davos, China has once again sent a message that it is open to cooperation with the world, committed to maintaining stability, and willing to cooperate on energy and other areas. I think this is a very positive message for the international community," Eric Tse, Chief Executive Officer of Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited, told the reporters after the opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Moreover, China's signals of innovation and openness have also resonated with international technology companies.

When it comes to innovation, partnerships are crucial. "I believe China is one of the key stakeholders in this whole process. As global innovation continues, China will definitely advance and bring its power to the world," Tse said.